Raman Singh to be sworn in as CM tomorrow

Raipur: After a historic win in the assembly elections, Raman Singh will be sworn in as Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh for third consecutive time on Thursday, in the presence of several senior politicians. Singh (61), will be administered the oath of office at a ceremony which would begin at 11 am at the police parade ground where tight security arrangements are in place. [caption id=“attachment_1282547” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Raman Singh. AFP[/caption] BJP leaders who will attend the function include party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, L K Advani, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh, Venkaiah Naidu, Nitin Gadkari, Shivraj Chouhan and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, party state unit spokesperson Rasik Parmar told PTI here today. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnayak and Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal will be among other dignitaries expected to be present on the occasion. The BJP registered a thumping victory by winning in 49 of the 90 seats, one less from its 2008 figure, while the Congress managed to win 39 assembly seats. Rest of the two seats went to BSP and an Independent each. An ayurvedic doctor-turned-politician, Singh retained his Rajnandgaon assembly constituency by defeating Congress candidate Alka Mudliya, the wife of former Congress MLA Uday Mudliyar, who was killed in the Darbha Maoist attack, by a margin of 35,866 votes. Singh now joins the club of BJP chief ministers who have scored hat-tricks in their respective states. Meanwhile, additional security cover is being ensured at the venue for visiting dignitaries, DGP Ramaniwas told PTI. Around 15 surveillance cameras will be installed at the venue including entry points and other necessary spots, to closely watch each and every movement, he said. Security has also been stepped up at airports, railway stations and bus stands, he said. PTI